Queen
by SeaSpectre160
Summary: Kiva: Chōko has no choice in who she has to marry. Could the universe be any crueler than this? Can she possibly fall in love anyway? Mentions of Nago/Megumi, beginnings of Taiga/OC. Second in Knightverse.
1. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**Welcome back to the Knightverse! This fic deviates greatly from the preview I put at the end of 'King', mainly because I hadn't written this. The stuff in the preview just plain doesn't happen. The same will go for the preview I have at the end of this chapter. I haven't written Chapter 2 yet, so it will just give you an idea of what will be going on. In this case, Chōko's character just wound up going in a different direction, and she wouldn't act as bitchy as she did in the preview.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kamen Rider Kiva or any of its characters, just the Yamamoto's.**

**WORD COUNT: 3,310**

**Also: Building off the just-for-fun question I asked at the end of my Kamen Rider Wizard/Harry Potter crossover 'Himitsu no Hōki', I'll be posting polls on my profile, about which characters should go into which Hogwarts House. This month, it's Kamen Rider W. Please take your time to answer, it will take only a minute.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Meeting

_Tuesday, December 9th, 2008_

Yamamoto Chōko had been born on January 20th, 1987 to a single mother, a Fangire woman who taught her to be proud of her heritage, of her superiority above all humans. Her mother, Yamamoto Mari, held a high-ranking and high-earning position in a computer software company, and had attained it through careful manipulation, making friends with the right people, and occasionally killing a human in her way, though she was very careful about that. She craved power and respect, and she stopped at almost nothing to get it. She wanted the best for her daughter, so she accepted nothing short of perfection from her.

Chōko endured, pushing herself through private school and university. She was comfortable with her life there. The work was challenging but not overwhelming. She was in the top five of most of her classes, and she was a member of a couple societies that would look good on her resumé. That her schoolmates were actually enjoyable to be around helped ease the pressure of her studies, though she tried not to socialise with them outside of schoolwork or society meetings. She didn't tell her mother that she was beginning to question the idea that humans existed solely to be food for Fangires.

The only drawback in her life was that she had no idea what she wanted for her future, even with her final semester approaching. She had a flair for business, but the idea of following her mother's footsteps was just unappealing. Her other skills lay in the realm of politics, so perhaps that could be a feasible option.

Then, one Tuesday morning in December, when she was twenty-one, disaster struck.

Chōko woke up that day feeling incredibly energised for some reason. She went through the motions of getting dressed and washing up, but when she reached for her toothbrush, she saw something that nearly made her scream. Emblazoned on her left palm was a tattoo of a black queen chess piece and a rose. The mark of the Fangire Queen.

She may not have been certain of what she _wanted_ for her future, but she knew that she _didn't_ want _this_. To be married to the King and bear his children when she hadn't even met him. Hell, there was a very good chance that she wouldn't even _like_ him!

Her mother, of course, would be ecstatic. This would be Chōko's ticket to power and prestige, and of course as her mother, Mari would gain some considerable status as well.

* * *

_Sunday, March 8th, 2009_

Chōko went out of her way to hide the mark from her mother for the next few months. Generously-applied concealer and gloves did the trick. But her luck ran out in March, about three months after she woke up with that accursed mark. She was doing the dishes before her mother came home, and was particularly stressed out after her busy day. So she wasn't being careful about covering it up, or the fact that the soapy dishwater was washing the concealer off. After all, she had enough time to get the job done and the stuff re-applied before her mother returned, right? Wrong.

Her mother came back from work earlier than usual that evening. She'd just finished an extensive series of meetings and was looking to de-stress. "Chōko, could you be a dear and fetch me the sake?"

Chōko's mind was currently on a trip her volunteer society was planning for June, so she moved on autopilot, drying her hands and grabbing the bottle from the cupboard above the sink. She made her way to the living room, where her mother was sitting on the couch. Mari gratefully took the bottle from Chōko, and when she did, she spotted the mark on her daughter's palm.

"Chōko, what is that?" she gasped. Chōko tried to stick her hand behind her back, but quick as a flash, Mari grabbed her wrist. She was so shocked when she realised what it was that she actually dropped the sake bottle (though thankfully it landed on the couch cushions and didn't break).

Chōko was frozen with panic. "Kaa-san, I-"

"When did this happen?!" her mother demanded, a big smile growing on her face, "Never mind, this is wonderful! My daughter, Queen of the Checkmate Four! Oh, the doors this will open for us!"

Maybe her mother thought that being Queen opened opportunities, but Chōko saw herself doomed to being chained to some stranger who would probably expect her to obey his every command.

Mari continued her excited chatter. "Oh, we'll have to figure out where to find the King! With you at his side, maybe he'll come back to his senses and forget that silly nonsense of befriending humans. Honestly, the things we could do!"

* * *

_Wednesday, March 11th, 2009_

Chōko didn't know how her mother managed to learn where to find the King, but either way, she found herself being dragged into a dinky little café a couple days later, over to a pair of men about her age sitting at a table by the windows. Her mother had insisted that she dressed nicely, so she wore a pale blue silky shirt with sleeves made entirely of dark blue lace with a butterfly pattern, along with black dress pants and a silver butterfly necklace. "Which one of you is King?" her mother demanded eagerly.

The two of them exchanged a glance and tensed up; the one with auburn hair looked ready to defend himself. "I am," the other man declared, heavy suspicion laced in his tone, "Who are you, and why do you ask?" Chōko supposed the rumours of assassination attempts were true. Her future looked more and more bleak by the day now.

Mari pulled Chōko forward. "This is my daughter, Yamamoto Chōko," she announced proudly, "She is the new Queen."

The two men's jaws dropped a bit comically. It was _almost_ enough to make her laugh on the inside, but not quite. Instead, she took the opportunity to examine her future... (sigh)... husband. He was definitely a good-looking guy, dressed in a white leather jacket over a blue t-shirt, jeans, and a single black leather glove covering his left hand.

"The new Queen..." his companion whispered, having gotten over his shock first, "So soon..." He was rather attractive as well, it must be said. He wore black jeans, a black t-shirt, a brown corduroy jacket, a white scarf, and a pair of white fingerless gloves. His eyes grew sad, however. So did the King's, for that matter.

Before Chōko could ponder that further, the King spoke. "It seems we have a lot to discuss, but not here. Perhaps we should move this conversation elsewhere?"

* * *

Chōko tried not to show her shock when she saw the castle. It wasn't every day that one saw a building fused with a Doran. She'd heard the rumours, but...

The sleepy-looking creature looked up upon their approach and growled lowly. King's companion, earlier introduced as his younger brother Kurenai Wataru, sighed and went over to rub its scaly nose. "It's fine," he murmured, "They're with us. Go back to sleep." The Doran actually made a sort of cooing sound as he scratched its snout before settling its large head back down.

As they entered, torches and candelabras lit a hallway to a modern-looking sitting room, which honestly surprised Chōko as well, as she was expecting something far more archaic. The King and his brother sat down, and motioned for her and her mother to do the same. King was just about to speak when two more people entered. The first was a man in his late thirties in a butler's suit, though his bowtie and the top few buttons on his shirt were undone. He eyed the Yamamoto women suspiciously.

The second was another woman, appearing about Chōko's age, possibly, but it was hard to tell with Fangires, and she was very sickly-looking. She wore a plain black dress and shawl, as well as a leather patch over her right eye. "Taiga," she inquired in a soft voice, "Wataru, who are your guests?"

"The new Queen, apparently," Kurenai mumbled, "And her mother."

The man tensed up and frowned. "Are you alright here?"

"We're fine," King replied. The man didn't look reassured until Kurenai nodded in confirmation. Chōko got the feeling that the man didn't trust her or her mother.

"Still, I'll let Riki and Ramon know. Just yell if you need anything." And he moved out of the doorframe and into the hall, leaving the door itself ajar.

The woman looked at Chōko with a strange expression that might have been pity, or maybe regret, before sitting down. "I am Maya, Taiga and Wataru's mother. I must say, we weren't expecting the new Queen to emerge this soon."

Chōko knew who she was. Every Fangire knew about the exiled former Queen who'd fallen in love with a mere human. But she was supposed to still be in exile, so why was she allowed in the castle? Chōko supposed it was by her son's permission.

Her own mother stiffened just slightly beside her. "Well, we started looking to contact the King the very day my Chōko gained the mark." Her voice now had a chilly edge directed at Maya. "I must say, King, you were difficult to find."

The King had clearly picked up on her attitude, for his voice was also colder as he replied: "Well, with so many out for my blood, that was my intention. It's rather difficult to kill someone you can't find."

"That is true. There have been numerous rumours about you flying around, so many that I truly don't know what to think. Is it true that you have forged an alliance with the humans?"

King narrowed his eyes at her incredulous tone. "My brother is half-human, and I was raised by a human. Let me make this clear: I intend to bring peace between the Fangires and the humans. I understand that it will not be easy, and that I might fail. Perhaps my goal won't be achieved in my lifetime, but I will at least set the base. The company I run is already searching for an energy source to replace Life Energy, in order to eliminate the need for Fangires to feed on humans for sustenance."

Chōko was taken aback. Many of the whispers going around suggested that the King had discovered a supposed half-human relative and as a result was becoming soft on humans. They didn't suggest that he had such an ambitious and radical plan. It would be impossible to convert the entire culture of the Fangire race in one lifetime (even one that could last hundreds of years), as it had been essentially the same for millennia. Now wonder so many were after him! Her future husband must have a death wish.  
Her heart sank further as she realised that as Queen, she would be targeted for the same reason. Chōko's future was looking shorter and bleaker by the minute.

"My, how ambitious," her mother commented. Her voice had taken on the falsely-enthusiastic tone she used when pretending to be interested in something just for the sake of appearances or buttering someone up. "You have quite a project ahead of you."

Her mother would go along with it for now, Chōko knew. Yamamoto Mari craved power, and having her daughter as Queen would give her a big boost of influence. Chōko saw nothing but trouble for herself, having to persuade the King to give up on his suicidal quest, possibly risking his wrath if she went about it the wrong way.

Just then, a boy of about thirteen poked his head in. "Hey hey. Shima-san and the Nago's are here. Something about the meeting they had this morning."

The two brothers stood at the exact same time. "Did he say how it went?" King asked urgently. He turned to the Yamamoto women. "I'm sorry, something has just come up. We'll have to continue this talk some other time. Ramon will see you out."

Seeing no other choice, Chōko got up, followed by her mildly-offended mother, and left the room. She could tell, when she got closer, that this 'Ramon' was neither human nor Fangire. Then what was he? He was quiet as he led them out of the castle, and Chōko could feel the tension coming off him and see the constant sideways glances he was giving them. He didn't seem too comfortable with their presence. Then again, it seemed no one connected to the King did, either.

* * *

As they were heading home, Mari turned to her daughter, equal parts excited and worried. "This is worse than I feared," she stated, "If the King keeps going on this path, he will drive the Fangire race into chaos and extinction! It will be difficult to put him back on the track, especially with the humans and that half-breed hanging around him. And those other two; I think they were a Wolfen and a Merman, those rumoured last survivors of their races. They will all have to go, but you must gain his trust first. Simply eliminating them could backfire, and cause him to try and avenge them instead."

Chōko tuned her out, thinking about what King had said from a different perspective. She'd gone to school with many humans, and though she didn't really socialise with them, gaining a reputation as an 'ice queen', she had noticed some admirable people among them. The very people who made her question why humans were considered inferior. Maybe King's would be impossible to achieve, but barring that fact, Chōko wasn't sure that she disliked.

* * *

_Thursday, March 12th, 2009_

Chōko barely got any sleep that night. She was too occupied with worrying about what she was going to do. Her mother would eventually come up with a more concrete plan to undermine the King, or at least his plans, and Chōko herself would undoubtably have to have to play a large role in it. Her best guess was that she would essentially be acting as a spy, and messing with the King's plan to create peace with the humans, probably by sabotaging his relationships with his supporters. It was likely to require every bit of her acting abilities and wordsmithing skills, and one slip-up could put her on the receiving end of the King's wrath.

The next morning, they got a phone call from the King, detailing the location of a small, but high-end, restaurant, at which they would meet for supper and to begin discussing wedding plans. During her classes that day, Chōko didn't hear a word of her professors' lectures, too full of dread to focus.

She dressed up nicely for the dinner with shaking hands, picking out a midnight-blue sleeveless silk dress with black trim and a dark silvery wrap embroidered with blue butterflies (her favourite colours were black, blue, and silver). She did her long, black hair up in a bun, her bangs held back by a silvery butterfly barrette.

When Chōko and Mari arrived at the restaurant, the King was already waiting at their table with his half-blood brother, his mother, and an unidentified man in his fifties. The brothers were bent over the same menu, but looked up as the two women approached them.

The man was introduced as Shima Mamoru, the human who had raised King. Oddly, though, he seemed more comfortable with Wataru, out of all the people there. Mari began discussing wedding dates as soon as greetings were exchanged and drinks were ordered. She'd had to seat herself next to Shima, much to her discomfort, in order to place Chōko beside the King.

The two newly-betrothed young adults avoided eye contact all throughout the meal. Her mother had brought the schedules of as many of her well-connected friends that she could contact that day. She wanted to show off her great fortune in having her daughter become the Queen, and needed as many of those people present as possible. The King and his family didn't seem too pleased by this, and Chōko didn't blame them. There were many Fangires who wanted him dead; of course having strangers attending his wedding would be potentially dangerous.

By the time dessert arrived, they'd finally agreed on a tentative date, April 14th, which was just a little more than a month away. At that point, Chōko excused herself to go to the bathroom. She needed a moment to collect herself, to just breathe, away from everyone else. This was moving _way_ too fast, and she was scared, dammit. Her life was rapidly changing without her consent, and she felt like she was being spun around and around.

"Pull it together," she told herself, "Go back out there and hold your head up high, and deal with it."

As she left the ladies' room, she nearly bumped into the King himself. "I'm sorry," she muttered, and made to return to the table.

"Wait." Chōko stopped in her tracks when he spoke to her. "I know you're not happy about all this. Frankly, neither am I. I loved the last Queen, even if she didn't love me back. It hasn't been that long, really, since she was murdered on what was supposed to be our wedding day, so you can imagine how hard it is to be getting married mere months later."

Chōko sighed. "I rather liked my life the way it was before this damn mark appeared. Nothing will be the same anymore; I guess I won't be able to finish my exams, or get a job. I only had about two weeks of classes left, too." She hadn't yet turned to face him. "I was planning to go on a volunteer trip, traveling out to the rural parts of Japan to help improve roads and bridges. I was actually looking forward to it."

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I have no problem with you going. While the old traditions would have you leaving your old life behind, this is the twenty-first century."

"Oh." It felt like a small portion of the heavy weight on her shoulders had been lifted. "Well, thank you, I guess." She finally turned around to look at him. "So we agree that neither of us is overly pleased with this arrangement, and since there's nothing we can do to stop it, short of me dying, can we at least try to not to make things any more difficult for each other?"

He seemed to relax a bit, and nodded. "I'd be okay with that." Chōko had noticed the sadness in his voice when he'd spoken about his last fiancé. Asking him to marry her when he was still mourning had to be some sort of cruel joke the universe was playing on him.

They made no mention of their conversation when they returned to the table, though Kurenai gave his brother an odd, searching look, then caught Chōko's eye and subtly nodded. She figured he'd picked up on the King's lower stress levels and figured it out.

Her mother went on about guest lists and seating plans and invitations and dresses on the way home, but Chōko mostly tuned her out. Her agreement with King had (mostly) snapped her out of her panic. She would make the best out of her situation, somehow, instead of lamenting it. It was what Yamamoto women did.

* * *

**I now have the basic plotlines written for the rest of the base Knightverse fics, though they will always be subject to change. The posting order, after this chapter, is this: 'Queen' Ch 2, 'Rook', 'Queen' Ch 3, 'Bishop', and 'King'. The other fics, 'The Bachelor Party' and 'Moving On', will come along after that, along with two other unnamed fics that focus on Maya's past and Nago and Megumi's first few years.**

**So like I said above, this preview scene may or may not be the same in the final product of Chapter 2, or might not even happen at all. But here it is:**

_**Her dress was entirely black, something Ichijo had been confused by, but she'd gone along with it. Her kōhai had definitely been paying attention to Chōko's fashion preferences. The bodice was made of shiny silk, with black sequins sewn in that glittered in flickering candlelight. The neckline swept gracefully downward without showing too much cleavage, and the sleeves were made of a see-through black fabric, tight around her upper arms before opening into bell sleeves. The skirt was also silk, and covered with black lace. It flowed outward, just brushing the floor as she walked.**_

_**Her mother helped her adjust her veil. The night before, she'd alternated between obssessively going through the guest list to make sure everyone who'd RSVP'd was coming and sobbing about how her baby was growing up. Chōko had just sat in numerous spots throughout the house, getting up and moving to a new spot every five minutes until her mother forced her to go to bed. "We don't want the bride to have dark bags under her eyes."**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Wedding

**Review Replies:**

**AKA99: **Yeah, you've only just seen the beginning of Mari's bitchiness, the full extent of which won't come up until Chapter 3

**D.N.S Akina: **Sorry, but Mio's gone. She died in the show, so she's dead in my fics. Besides, as much as it's not her fault, her presence nearly tore the brothers apart.

**WORD COUNT: 2,380**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kamen Rider Kiva, but I own Chōko and Mari**

* * *

_Tuesday, March 31st, 2009_

"So, is everyone clear on what they need to do?" the project leader asked the room in general. This was the volunteering society's last meeting before the exam period started, so everyone in the group had to be aware of what they would be responsible for preparing, for the big year-end trip in June. "Good. We'll meet up again April fourteenth, since luckily we'll all be finished our exams by then." All the members had handed in their exam schedules as soon as they were made available, and thankfully they would all be finishing early.

But Chōko had something else planned, unfortunately. "I'm afraid that won't work for me," she admitted, "I'm… getting married on that day."

A couple of jaws dropped. Not one of them had known that Yamamoto Chōko was engaged. Hell, they hadn't even known she'd been seeing anyone! This, of course, was because she hadn't. Chōko had only met her fiancé mere weeks ago, and they certainly hadn't been dating. They were only marrying because Ancient Law decreed it, as King and Queen of the Fangire Race.

"Really?!" one guy gasped, "Why didn't you say anything?!" Another reason none of them had expected this was that though she put plenty of effort and time into their activities, Chōko was more than a bit anti-social amongst the society members. She preferred to work behind the scenes, unless they needed her to debate with a particularly obstinate person.

Chōko shrugged. "My mother arranged it, and I didn't want to make a fuss."

Ichijo Mio, a girl just finishing her first year, hopped up and hugged her. She was the only one of them brave enough to enter the older woman's personal space. "Well, congratulations, Chōko-sempai!" And to use her given name. "Do you have your dress yet? If you don't, I could totally design it for you! Consider it my wedding gift to you!" Ichijo was majoring in fashion and design, and she'd been the driving force behind the volunteering society's clothing drive.

The very mention of a dress had Chōko wincing. She did have one, but… "My mother wants me to wear her mother's wedding dress…" She'd tried it on for alterations, but the material was itchy, heavy, and stifling, and her grandmother had had a thing for bows. Big bows. All over. At first, she'd tried to use the excuse that the Queen's wedding dress should be black, but her mother had waved it off, saying they could simply dye it once the tailors were done. "And besides, the dress would need to be ready by the fourteenth. You wouldn't have time to finish it _and_ study for your exams."

Ichijo grinned impishly. "Just watch me." Before either of them could say any more, her phone vibrated. "Oh, that's Akio-kun. He's waiting downstairs to pick me up." Ichijo scribbled her number down on a random space piece of paper, along with a second number. "If you change your mind, you call me at this number, or you can use my cousin's custom clothing service. They can get a dress put together for you in no time." Then she took off, leaving Chōko to fend for herself as the rest of the society's members swarmed her with questions.

* * *

_Wednesday, April 1st, 2009_

The next day, Chōko made up her mind, and called Ichijo. "I'd like you to design the dress for me," she requested, "I looked up your cousin's service, and their website says they make custom formal wear; perhaps they could take care of actually making the dress so that you won't be distracted from your exams."

Ichijo agreed, and they met at her dorm that evening to come up with a design. The younger woman hadn't even batted an eye when Chōko said it had to be a black dress.

The dressmaking service would be expensive, but King had already offered to pay for it. Chōko was glad for that, because the final estimate had been a bit out of her price range.

* * *

_Tuesday, April 14th, 2009_

After a month of nervous preparation and anticipation, the fateful day had arrived, Chōko had gone in to be fitted for her dress two days ago, and had picked the finished product up yesterday. Her mother had lamented the fact that she wasn't wearing her grandmother's old dress, but had quickly gotten over it when she saw the new one.

Ichijo and her cousin had outdone themselves. The bodice was made of black velvet, with black jewels sewn in all around her lower torso that glittered in the light when she moved. The neckline swept down gracefully and modestly. The sleeves were made of a transparent, black gauzy fabric. They hugged her arms from shoulder to elbow, but then opened up to flowing bell sleeves with a slit that began half-way between her wrists and elbows. The skirt was made of shiny ebony silk, cut narrowly to emphasise her figure, but leaving enough room for her to walk easily. Over it was a second skirt made entirely of jet-black lace in a beautiful floral design.

Overall, Chōko was very pleased with it. If she was going to be forced to get married, at least she could do it in the most beautiful dress she'd ever wear.

* * *

After a month of nervous preparation and anticipation, the fateful day had arrived, Chōko had gone in to be fitted for her dress two days ago, and had picked the finished product up yesterday. Her mother had lamented the fact that she wasn't wearing her grandmother's old dress, but had quickly gotten over it when she saw the new one.

Ichijo and her cousin had outdone themselves. The bodice was made of black velvet, with black jewels sewn in all around her lower torso that glittered in the light when she moved. The neckline swept down gracefully and modestly. The sleeves were made of a transparent, black gauzy fabric. They hugged her arms from shoulder to elbow, but then opened up to flowing bell sleeves with a slit that began half-way between her wrists and elbows. The skirt was made of shiny ebony silk, cut narrowly to emphasise her figure, but leaving enough room for her to walk easily. Over it was a second skirt made entirely of jet-black lace in a beautiful floral design.

Overall, Chōko was very pleased with it. If she was going to be forced to get married, at least she could do it in the most beautiful dress she'd ever wear.

* * *

It was time. Her mother was hastily fixing her black veil, even though it was already on straight, but Chōko was too nervous to tell her to quit it. She felt like she would throw up if she opened her mouth.

When the music began, Chōko and her mother began to walk down the aisle. He mother was beaming, enjoying every minute of it. Nearly all the important guests she'd wanted to come had done so, and so she got to show her good fortune off to all of them. On the other side of the church hall, the King's crowd consisted of his mother, his brother, Shima, and the three 'Arms Monsters'. The first three were there to support the King, and the other three had come just in case someone tried to take advantage of the gathering. The King himself stood up front by a small table.

Chōko felt like she couldn't breathe as she took her place next to him. It wasn't just the stress of having to get married against her will, though; she couldn't deny that he looked _good_. At least this was a positive point.

He was visibly tense as he began. Fangire wedding ceremonies didn't require a priest or any other sort of official. They just needed the bride and groom plus at least one witness. "Chōko, proud Fangire Queen. Do thee swear eternal loyalty to the King?"

She took a deep, shaky breath before answering. "I swear."

The King took a set of jeweled chains from the table and took Chōko's clasped hands. Chōko didn't like this part – it was like he was making her his prisoner – but she stood still and allowed him to bind her wrists with them. He then picked up the crystal goblet filled with red wine with shaking hands and drank half of it, before handing it to her. Chōko took it, nearly dropping it, and brought it up under her veil. She wasn't much of a wine drinker, and had to fight a grimace as the liquid went down her throat.

As King lifted her veil, Chōko felt her chest tighten, but allowed him to lean in. The kiss was short, gentle, and hesitant. And for some reason, it sent a small, pleasant shiver down her spine and caused her cheeks to heat up. His face was flushed as well as they pulled away.

What was that? Why was her heart pounding? Why was she once again having difficulty breathing? As she allowed him to take her arm and lead her from the room amongst the quiet applause of their guests, her mind was swimming with questions.

* * *

The reception her mother'd hosted had been incredibly tedious. All of her mother's guests came by to congratulate the fairly agitated couple, while King's family was avoided like the plague. No 'respectable' Fangire wanted to be near the traitor ex-Queen, the human, the half-breed, and their bodyguards, though they were to smart enough to not actually say so. King, of course, tried to take advantage of that, pulling Chōko over to them to get a break from the pointless, sucking-up chit-chat. She found their presence oddly soothing, if only because Knight talked about the antics of his friend Kengo at another friend's bachelor party, along with other tales, in order to ease the tension. Of course, Mari would inevitably come out of the crowd and pull them away to talk to another guest.

After the guests were finally chased off, the newlywed King and Queen had to sit for their wedding portrait, and Chōko was just thankful it was a photograph and not a painting, though the photographer was very fussy about the lighting and their exact positions. It took almost an hour to take a couple pictures, and by the time they were done, Chōko was exhausted and ready for bed.

But that was where the next hurdle laid.

* * *

Chōko's mother had initially planned on booking them a luxury hotel suit for the wedding night, but King had shot that down the second he heard it. Apparently the psychic bond between him and Knight prevented them from being too far away from each other, at least not comfortably. The only place where they could put some distance between them as Castle Doran, where they'd be living anyway.

So that was how Chōko found herself sitting in the King's bedchamber, wearing her silk nightgown and wondering what to do next.. Her new husband sat next to her, silently picking at the bedspread.

"So…" Chōko began, blushing, "Have you ever… before…"

"No." His response was quiet. "Never really found anyone I liked that much. Well, except…" He trailed off, and Chōko knew he was talking about. The Queen before her, the one who'd died on the day of their wedding. The one that didn't love him back. "You?"

"No. I've never even had a boyfriend." Her mother had wanted her to be independent, just as she'd been. Mari had never expressed interest in settling down and starting a family, or even having a long-term relationship. She only went after a man if she needed his favour to achieve her goals (but she wouldn't go all the way with a human; the one line she wouldn't cross). Chōko herself had been accidentally conceived as a result of one such affair, and all she knew about her father was that he was wealthy and good at making child support payments on time.

In fact, Mari had spent the last couple of nights lecturing her daughter on tricks to use in bed, in order to seduce her way into the King's favour. She saw this marriage just as she saw all of her affairs; a useful tool in her quest for power. But Chōko was _not_ ready for that yet.

"I see." Silence pervaded once again. Chōko awkwardly shifted her weight. She looked over at her new husband, and realised that he was staring at her already. Hesitantly, he reached over and placed his hand on hers. His touch was surprisingly warm. Their eyes met. The two young adults knew this was necessary, and honestly, though they weren't going to admit it out loud, neither of them minded it quite as much as they did the other stuff. Because there was definitely a physical attraction there.

It was Chōko who acted first, leaning in and kissing him again. He stiffened in surprise at first, then relaxed, and pulled her closer to him. Their bodies took over for them at that point. Chōko felt her breaths getting shorter as his fingers slipped under the spaghetti straps of her nightgown, and she began to undo the buttons of the dress shirt he was still wearing.

* * *

An unknown amount of time later, Chōko laid on the bed, soaked in sweat. Her partner settled next to her, breathing heavily. She felt incredibly sore between her legs, but that was insignificant. Whatever she'd been imagining before, her first experience had been incredible, surpassing all expectations.

Chōko glanced over to her husband, who was already starting to fall asleep. She knew she was close behind him, as sure enough, her eyes were starting to drift shut.

The last thing to go through her head before sleep claimed her was that maybe she wouldn't be able to love him, but this part wouldn't be so bad. Not at all.

* * *

**Yeah... I'm not really pleased with how that last scene turned out, to be honest.**

**After this, I'm posting 'Rook' before the final chapter of 'Queen'. Here's a preview:**

_**Katsurō flopped onto his hotel bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if he'd just lied to his wife. Caitlin had picked up on his tension through the phone, and had asked about it when he'd gotten to the hotel and called her back. He'd said that it was fine, that at worst he'd be shunned and ignored by the very people he was searching out. He'd promised that he'd be back with her soon enough.**_

_**He'd never told her that his beliefs could put him on the receiving end of a brutal assault at best and dead at worst.**_

**Also, happy early 26th birthday to Keisuke Katō, aka Nago-san!**


End file.
